Transposing emotions to conserve nature? The positive politics of the metrics of ecosystem services

Abstract

ABSTRACT In contrast to terrifying extinction numbers, the metrics of Ecosystem Services (ES) highlight the positive impacts of the functioning of ecosystems for human societies. In the French national park of Port-Cros, conservationists measured ES to increase the appeal of nature conservation and soothe conflicts generated by the park’s extension. Their actions can be described as a ‘transposition’, an inversion in the logic of conservation policies to turn negative emotions into positive ones. Conservationists used the transposition achieved by the ES metrics to manage their own emotions and elicit specific emotions among decision-makers. Responding to the anxiety generated by the park’s shrinking budget and unstoppable environmental degradation, they attempted to be hopeful by transforming conservation knowledge. To convince mayors of the surrounding municipalities to join the park, they sought to make them trust the parks’ budgeting practices and to induce enthusiasm in protected ecosystems. Yet, decision-makers were relatively indifferent to ES numbers and remained worried about the park’s possible extension. The case of Port-Cros affirms that metrics can be used to govern social changes by transforming emotions, but challenges the assumed optimism of ES promoters for positive emotional politics. Continuing previous STS research on emotions, the concept of transposition documents how the reconceptualisation of knowledge in alternative ways enables scientists to conduct emotional work and manage the emotions generated by their profession. It provides a tool to study how scientists invert the logic of political issues to produce positive emotions and how they use these emotions to facilitate environmental governance.